


Worth the wait

by clairesmh



Series: Worth the wait [1]
Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: 2018 Winter Olympics, F/M, Fluff and Smut, figure skating, ice dance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-03-23 18:17:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13793400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clairesmh/pseuds/clairesmh
Summary: For 20 years they were partners, friends and professionals. Many tried to put a label on their relationship, but few could imagine the complexity of what they had built. In order for them to complete one of the biggest challenges of their career, they had to sacrifice a lot, including something that for them was as precious as the gold medal they desired. Finally, after their last professional performance at the Olympics, their "business relationship" began to give way to a long-held feeling.





	1. Come what may

_Tessa's POV_

It was our last time performing at the Olympics.

I knew we said it in Sochi but now it was different. We talked during our comeback and through the two years which led to this day, and there's no coming back after that day. We both agreed our time was up. After 20 years, we accomplished all our goals as partners and as individual ice skating athletes. We pushed our limits countless times to be there, to get to that moment in our careers and our lives, the moment when we knew we've reached our absolute best. The closest to perfection a human being can get.

It was not only about performance, it was about Scott and I. If we had amazing technique and our choreography was beyond intense, it was because of the relationship we built in the last 20 years, more so in the last two years.

I looked up from where I was standing and Scott was fixing his laces. There was this deep frown between his eyebrows and he was murmuring "Come what may", which told me he was reviving every single detail in his head one last time before we entered the competition area.

I'm sure he thought I was far away, doing my own routine so he had a bit more time before he needed to man up and be the easy, confident and charming man everyone knows him to be. But he is my routine, being close to him and getting to experience all this with him, it's what I'm here for and at the same time, it's what makes me stronger and gives me the confidence I need every time I get on the ice. I know Scott will be there with me at every lift, every spin and every second of choreographed dance. Our sincronism will be as perfect as the way our bodies fit together and as intense as the look in his eyes every time we come to face each other.

But most important, I know he will be there when it all ends.

Marie and Patrice left us alone for 5 minutes so we could have our time before everything broke down. Scott took a deep breath, straightened his trousers and rose in a single movement.

He took a couple of steps until he was right in front of me and put both his hands on my waist.

"Ready?" He said with a small smile. He was nervous and still couldn't hide it that well, or he didn't want to when it was just the two of us.

The creases in his forehead dissolved beneath my touch and I ran my fingers through his deep black hair once before I looked right into his eyes "Absolutely"

He nodded once and cradled my face between his hands "This is it. We've never skate better than right now and I really feel this is our time."

"I know so. No matter what happens tonight, we skate for us and for everything we invested in this sport we love in the past 20 years."

"I love you Tess."

He kissed me in the forehead and I mumbled "I know."

He knew I was not the best at saying this king of things out loud.

"Como on, we a have a gold medal to win"

With our hands entwined, we left the room and climbed the stairs which lead us to the rink and Patrice and Marie were waiting for us at the top.

"The americans are about to finish, you should get ready" Patrice said when we briefly looked to the ice rink. Scott and I nodded and walked to a more reclusive spot, where we could focus on what really mattered.

We didn't ask about how much Gabriella and Guillaume had score, we didn't need or want to know. We've seen them competing for four years, even before we made our come back we knew they would be our biggest rivals in this Olympics. I could say we didn't care, but I'd be lying because both of us were fairly competitive and we made too many sacrifices to this careers and to this moment, including the biggest one, our history.

Today we would be skating in honour to our history and to each other. It'd be a tribute to our partnership and our love and nothing could compete with that.

Scott held my hands and we stood in front of each other, blocking every sound around us.

"Five minutes guys." Marie said when we were a bit lost in our silent conversation.

Scott brought me to his chest and I circled my arms around his waist. He kept me close in his embrace, his large hand caressing between my shoulder blades in circular motions. His breath was warm in my neck when he touched his face to mine.

It was easy to match my breath with his and I could feel our frenzied heartbeats gradually calming until it became one even rhythm.

"One last thing" I whispered

"What is it?"

"I love you too, Scott"

I could sense his lips on to my cheek forming a smile. "Let's kick some ass, baby" he gave some playful slaps on my butt and we parted.

We walked to Marie and Patrice while I took my hoodie off and Scott handled me my bottle of water after he took a sip.

We took off our blade covers and gave to Marie.

"You are ready, go on and do what you know best" Marie said and Patrice nodded.

They gave us a hug and walked away to a position where they’d be able to have a better view of the entire rink.

We waited, not so patiently, until our name was called. I took one last deep breath and looked at Scott. Hand in hand we entered the ice rink for our last Olympic performance.

_Scott's POV_

There was a surge of adrenaline building up inside. Tessa was right there with me, nervousness subduing and adrenaline arising. We were waiting to be called and focusing on each other and our characters. It was not difficult this time because this program was us, our history. The raw and aggressive passion of Roxanne and the deep love and promises of Come what may, it was all part of us.

“Representing Canada, Tessa virtue and Scott Moir”

The moment the blade touched the Ice, I pulled myself upright, lifted my chin um and puffed my chest out. My character was a man after love and passion and at that moment, so was I. We focussed on each other while the crowd hovered and right before we separated to make our introductions and go to our positions, I gave her hand a tight squeeze and I knew she understood that it was my way of saying we were in this together, this was our moment.

We took moved to our first position, completely in character now. She was the beautiful desirable woman, full of dreams and fears, I was her lover and I wanted to give her the world.

The first notes echoed in the arena and our bodies moved like somo many time before, only now was different. The moment our bodies came in contact for the first time in the program, it was so intense and powerful. My hands gripped Tessa's waist as my life depended on that.

When the music started, we were on fire, figuratively and really. Our bodies were consumed by that energy and though we could heard every cheer and every note in the music we chose for this moment, I only had I eyes for the incredible woman I had as a partner.

The song morphed into the soft chorus of Come what may and it never felt so right, the lyrics just fitted. Right after a twizle I looked at Tessa and on the next Move I sang the words to her "I love you" and she smiled back briefly and mouthed "Until the end of time" and as a last breath of life, we performed the final part of our program with all of our hearts and soul.

When it came to an end we were trying to catch up our breaths, after the final pose I pulled her straight to my arms and hugged Tessa fiercely. I've never felt better in my entire life, just from knowing this was our best performance, a tribute to 20 years of a special partnership and most of all, a life devoted to one another.

"We did it." I murmured in her ear, too close to barely let the air pass between us.

I was holding her with such a strong grip that when I realised I could be hurting her, I let go,

"YES!" I finally yelled after two years and I looked at her. She was visibly dumbfounded and had the most beautiful smile on her face. Damn it if I could stay at an arm length of her.

I lifted her off of the ice, hugging her again.

"You were incredible, we were incredible. If it's gold or silver, I don't care right now, my most precious prize is being here you"

She was still speechless, but her eyes and her smile spoke so much. I knew she was happy and I new it was everything worth it because of this exact moment.

"We really did it!"

We hi fived and I kissed her on the cheek then we turned to the audience and made our final bow to leave the ice.

A lifetime went by until we heard it. We were first, we won gold.

The adrenaline was beyond control and I had Tessa in my arms again. She was laughing and crying all at the same time and there was no better sound in the world, I've waited 8 years to hear her again, to give this to her and to us.

"We won! Thank you, thank you, for this, T! I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else, what we have is the most incredible thing I could have ever asked for".

She looked at me and said "The best".


	2. I’m latching onto you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I changed the title and the summary of this story because when I posted, I didn't really think of it, it was supposed to be just a way for a friend of mine to read it and have a way to generate an epub file. I was actually surprised with so many likes and reads! I might not be the quickest one at updating but I'll try to post every weekend. 
> 
> PS.: Be aware there's some mature content in the chapter.

Scott heard a soft knock on the door and when he opened it Tessa was there standing there in a pair of jeans and the teams plaid red shirt he was guessing belonged to him since he couldn't find his clean one anywhere.

"Hey" Tessa raised the champagne and the two glasses she had with her, giving him a brilliant smile.

“I see where my shirt is.” He smirked before hugging her against him. Scott kissed her cheek and kept his mouth on the side of her face “Hey you, Ms. Most-Decorated-Figure-Skater”

She laughed “I’m only one half of it."

“The better half’’ He kissed her jaw line quickly, grabbing the champagne and the glasses to take her hand and lead her inside while she closed the door. They were both exhausted but the excitement wouldn't let them sleep anytime soon some alone time was much needed.

Interview after interview, they had talked about how it felt to be living this moment of their lives, and it was still hard to put it in words because it was just surreal.

They had work so hard to get to the point where they knew it was possible, after all gave their hearts and souls to be possible. Now it just felt right, as a consequence of all the hard work, the sacrifices they had done and their love for the sport.

But the success also came from the people they had become, especially in the last 4 years. They matured from their mistakes prior Sochi and the things they had to overcome. Their relationship had benefited from the new found way to communicate effectively with each other and to be absolutely true to one another and theirs feelings.

It was not easy, the exhausting training and the challenging choreography was child's play when compared to the therapy sessions and the discoveries they made.

Their relationship and if they would be retiring was now a big topic in every interview. Scott actually had answered the question about their status pretty harshly in the press conference, disguised by an sarcastic tone. But the truth was that, though they understood the fascination about what they had, they both felt as it was too precious and private to share it all with the world.

Contrary to what many speculated, the passion and the kind of love between a man and a woman shared was a recent discover in their 20 years relationship.

They always had a connection, a mutual understanding and a beautiful friendship but to be the successful and professional partners they were, they had to lock the constant "what ifs" in a safe place until they could reach for it and truly experience the romantic part of their affair.

The hotel room he had checked in after their final performance was still very neat and Scott led Tessa to the sofa in front of the TV, turning the volume down. Surely he was catching up the last results and seeing some of the best moments of the olympics, many in which featured their gold winning program.

He started to open the bottle of champagne and when he felt her look on him he raised his eyes to her. 

"What are you looking at? The beer guy can handle a bottle of champagne too”

"Oh I know that. Don't mind me, I was just trying to wrap my head around everything"

"Tell me about it" He concentrated on finishing his task and poured the champagne on the two glasses Tessa had.

He sat besides her on the sofa and she automatically scooted closer, giving him his glass. 

"To us." She said.

"To many more years of us."

Their glasses meet in a clacking sound and each took a big gulp of the drink.

Scott raised an eyebrow, appreciating. "Well this is the real deal. I remember the first time we won Gold at the Four Continents, we were feeling very important and drank a bottle of that sparkling wine in plastic cups in your room after our coach went to bed,"

"You sneaked alone out of the hotel after our curfew hour because I was 18 at the time and I couldn't drink alcohol in the US. I kept the cork of that wine for a long time, it might still be in an old box."

"Oh you're too cute, Tess." Scott wrapped one arm around her and kissed her hair.

"As if you didn't keep one of that teddy bears we got in our first Four Continents a year before." She snuggled to him and hid her face against his T-shirt, smelling his scent and feeling a bit too emotional.

"Of course I did, I have a box of competitions souvenirs."

"What are you going to take from this one?"

"Isn't a gold medal enough?"

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do. But this time, there's nothing material I can take. This was different"

"It was."

Scott took both theirs glasses and left it on the small table besides the sofa, he then raised her chin and made she look into his eyes. "I've said it earlier, but I'll say again, what we did today, was beyond any competition. I've never been a better athlete and I've never been a better person and it's all because of you. Thank you Tessa, with all my heart, for being my partner in this amazing journey."

He caressed her cheek and she leaned into his touch.

"We did this together, I skated for you and for our history today, we both did it. That's why we've never been better, or truer to ourselves, finally I can say and show how much I love you, not as my friend, but as the man I trust every ounce of my body and  heart with."

She turned her head and kissed his palm before getting on her knees on the sofa to frame his face in between her hands. She kissed his cheek reverently and then the other. Scott moved his hands to her small waist and pulled her to his lap as easily as the partner who had known and held her body for a lifetime.

Tessa finally kissed his lips, finding the heat and passion she had felt when performing Roxane with that man. She had wanted to kiss him countless times during the day but now they could do it without the restrictions they had imposed to themselves for about 2 years.

She circled her hands around his neck and his grip tightened while one of his hands moved to her neck, holding her with the same possessiveness many had seen in their program. That kind of emotion would have been impossible to fake, even for athletes and artists as skilled as them. If people knew the extension of their feelings, they would’ve realise that, they were not only portraying Christian and Satine, but actually that was a facet of Scott and Tessa that remained to themselves.

Scott scraped her bottom lip with his teeth and began exploring the contours of her face, trailing kisses alongside her jaw line. His hand moved beneath her flannel shirt -  _his_  shirt - and he happily discovered she was wearing nothing underneath it.

"I love when you wear my clothes, it looks so much better on you." There was also the fact that he could smell his scent imprinted on her.

"Of course you do, that's how possessive you are." Her voice was just a whisper of consuming pleasure while she touched his neck lovingly and he explored every bit of exposed skin he could reach, unbuttoning her shirt in the process.

Scott knew every bit of his partners body by heart. He had touched her and felt every curve and soft spot she had. Many times he had memorized it for a program just as other combination of steps until it became his second nature, to know her body and reverence it.

Tessa was a petite woman, small breasts and hips, and he grew to be attracted to her shape and admire her lean and athletic body. He had some tough years during his teens and even as a young adult when their choreographs got more elaborated and the proximity was a synonym of the higher level of difficulty they were trying to achieve. A cold shower was very common after many hours of practice or choreography even when it was about -10ºC outside the gym.

It was a bliss to finally have his girl all to himself after so many years of wonder and sacrifices.

His partner was naked waist up before him and he took a moment to engrave the scene in this mind. They had accomplished the greatest challenge of their lives and there was no better reward than to be able to celebrate it together as a couple.

She took advantage of his brief stop and pulled off the thick Canada hoodie he wore, anxious to feel his skin beneath her fingers.

He had built up pretty nicely in the last months leading to the games. He was not a young boy anymore, so he had to work hard on his strength in order to prevent any injury.  

He watched her finger tracing his well defined muscles and and low rustle scaped his lips when she reached the skin right above the hem of his sweatpants, continuing to go under the fabric to touch him beneath the boxer briefs. His hips moved forward instinctively to meet her soft touch and she bit her lip, being over aroused seeing him closing his eyes and throwing his head back with a deep moan.

Tessa pulled down his pants and set herself on the floor between his legs. She kissed tip of his erect member here and there, looking up directly to his eyes. She loved to be in control as much as to be controlled by him, it was part of their partnership, but seeing his eyes clouded by the pleasure she was giving him was a very powerful feeling.

She took him in her mouth and Scott just lost it.

"Oh T, you're gonna kill me."

His hips moved in sync with her and he grabbed her loose hair in the nape of her neck, letting her work her magic, until he was almost totally consumed by the crescent pleasure.

He gently guided her away for him and lifted her off of the floor with minimum effort. Tessa wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He kissed her deeply, feeling the taste of him on her lips.

Tessa felt her back hit the soft mattress and Scott, in his all naked glory, knelt in front of her, reaching for her jeans to run it down her legs. He kissed his way up her very toned and lean leg, feeling the creamy white skin with his large hands and lingering on the faint scar on her shins.

The slow flames of need and lust crept from her belly and consumed her body. She closed her eyes forcefully when she felt his tongue on her, caressing her sensitive nerves in the most deliciously rhythm. Scott felt her body trembling below his and he used both his hands to steady her hips in during his pursue in pleasuring her.

"Scott."  _Oh Scott._

His face and the way their eyes locked finding that anchor that kept them centered when everything was falling apart, it was the only thought she nurtured when her body surrender to him completely.

Scott kissed her lips, capturing her short breaths. He covered her body with his, and she tangled his arms around him. His chest against her breasts, heartbeats finding their unison rhythm, her left leg around his waist. One of his arms was keeping his weight of her, while his other hand caressed the side of her breast, circling her niple with his thumb.

He loved the how her green eyes assumed a dark and hazed tone when she was so far gone in the moment. Her cheeks had a subtle rose color and a thin layer of sweat covered her neck.

"My beautiful girl." He told her like a prayer, touching her parted lips with the tip of his finger before kissing her over and over again.

Tessa ran her hands lazily down his back, feeling every muscle that supported her so many times over the past 20 years. Scott raised his hips and Tessa followed his lead. When they finally became one, their bodys took on synchrony they had never before achieved and a surge of emotion took over them.

Tessa didn't realise she had shed a tear until he kissed the moisture in her cheek. She never felt so loved or experienced such a pure happiness.

 "I love you, Scott. So much."

His answer was a kiss so sweet and full of passion, making her world spin around until they gave all they had to each other.

 

* * *

 

They laid in the middle of the bed, her head on his shoulder and his arms circling her waist, with legs tangled together beneath the rumpled sheets.

He wouldn't keep his hands off of her, touching her arm and her waist, caressing her face… He even got to feel her skin every time she wore one of those revealing  costumes and he was not even sorry for doing it publicly, during practice or after a presentation. He needed it to not lose his control, she kept him grounded.

She had the same constant need. The difference was that she was the brain of their relationship and he was the heart. She tended to keep her feelings to herself, being very timid about all the PDA and reserving to let of her strains when it was just the two of then. Like that right moment.

She looked up to him, kissing the underside of his jaw line "Are you going to the hockey game tomorrow?"

"Can I?" He instantly got that boyish look in his eyes.

Tessa laughed out loud "Of course you can, we don't actually need to go to the mandatory training, I'll go for us, but I'm sure we'll be just fine.”

“This will be a fucking emotional wreck, don't mind me if I leave the rink weeping like a baby”

“We’ll be fine.” She repeated herself, making soothing circles on his chest.

“We will.” He said back, looking at her eyes for a second. Scott kissed her forehead, and tightened his arms around her waist. 

They had made the best performance of their lives. They had won a olympic gold. Now they would start a new chapter of their lives and, more than ever, being together was all the reassurance they needed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! And please, let me know what are your thoughts about the story so far xx


	3. It's well worth the wait

_July, 2015_

Almost a year and a half after Sochi, Tessa and Scott could hardly believe how things had changed. The professional partnership was lighter, and they started to see each other away from all the obligations and difficulties of two high performance athletes. They were friends, and they started from that point, making sure they would always be in each other lives. After a couple of weeks doing a vacation separately they had come back to London to train for a couple of exhibitions and fell into a routine of practice four times a week.

During Tessa's most crazy days in the end of a term in the university, he would bring her coffee and donuts every time he went to the rink and she knew the university was not on his way to work. He would even put some more days in the rink to have an excuse to do it.

Their relationship had changed, and it was a palpable shift. She always depended on him, but somehow, they kept part of their off ice relationship separated because of the different interests and the contrasting personalities. Being off the competing scenario had brought a new perspective to them, one which had shown them that no matter what, they would always need to have one another.

Every time something exciting happened to Tessa, Scott was the first she wanted to tell the news. He had proved tons of times that he was her biggest fan, on and off the ice. He was always excited for her new business collaborations and seemed very interested in the details even though it was all about fashion. He was just so damn good to her.

Every weekend, it was him she wanted to spend her time with and he was always to her disposal. Scott gave her all of him but he was patient and maybe that’s why there wasn’t much left to anything else in his life. He never pushed her, never asked anything in return. He just showered her with love and waited for her to be ready to give it back to him.

Tessa looked at the man by her side and smiled. He was focussed on the road ahead of them, taping his thumb in the steering wheel in the rhythm of the song. She had made the playlist, a very cheesy one, full of many songs that meant something for them.

They would arrive at the lake in less than 10 minutes probably and she was already feeling the nervousness and the excitement pricking under her skin.

She had invited him to spend the weekend with her family when they returned from a series os presentations in Japan.

 “Are we there yet?” Tessa teased him.

“Almost” Scott looked at her, he seemed so relaxed.

“What about now?”

He rose a brow and she giggled.

“Sorry, couldn’t help”

“It took you almost all the trip to do it, I was getting concerned actually” He patted her knee, smirking at her.

 —

Later that day it was a quite warm night so she decided to share a beer with Scott and grabbed a package of soy chips on her way out of the kitchen.

Tessa walked into into the living room and Scott was in the sofa, with the remote on his hand. When he heard her approaching, he looked up with a smile and lifted his arm to accommodate her by his side.

She fitted just like a glove with him.

“What are you in a mood to watch?” Scott asked looking to the screen as he flipped the channels, lazily running his fingers over the bare skin of her arm.

“Anything, really.” She laid her head of his shoulder and opened the bag of chips for them. She fed one to him before digging in. It was such a small pleasure to eat food full of fat and sodium. But being away from competition, they could treat themselves a bit.

Scott stopped at some Audrey Hepburn film and Tessa smiled when he didn't even try to find something else. He sure knew her and constantly made these little things just to see her happy.

She snuggled against him and his arm squeezed her lovingly as an automatic reflex to her movements. Her eyes were on the TV, but her mind started to drift off. She was just so peaceful and content.

“It’s getting quite late your parents should be here by now. Did you try to call your mom?” Scott spoke, breaking her delicious moment.

“Oh, hm, I don’t think they are coming anymore. it will be just the two of us for the next couple of days. Is this ok for you?”

“Of course, why wouldn't it be?”

She just shrugged her shoulders.

“Relax Tutu, you are safe with me.”

He gave her a wink and she tried to smile. But the next thing she knew, she was got on her knees in the sofa and he turned to her, waiting.

“Actually, I asked them to not come. I wanted us to be alone this weekend.”

Scott raised an eyebrow. “Tessa…”

“No wait,” she laid a hand in his chest and took a deep breath before she could continue. “Things have changed, Scott, we are not the same anymore, I don't feel like we are. I might be overreacting and misreading stuff but I want us to be together, like, together _together_. We were always so focussed on training and be the best athletes we could. You had your girls and I had some occasional affairs, but now we are both single, and we are not competing anymore. And I really think we could make it work. We know each other, we love each other, not maybe like that kind of love, but you know… I just want to be with you, all the time..

Scott kept really calm and tried to suppress a smile when she looked so cute before him, rambling away

“Can you stop for a second?”

She quickly closed her mouth. Her expression fell but she kept her eyes at his.

“Awn Tess, don't be like that.” He couldn't resist her, he engulfed her in a big hug and kissed her head.

“Did I got it all wrong?” she mumbled against his shoulder, feeling the heat growing in her cheeks. How could she be so stupid? “I thought now that you didn't get involved with anyone, I could have a chance.” She tried to laugh.

He coaxed her body away from his and framed her face.

“I was waiting for you this time. Don't you know you are the one who set the rules between us?”

“You mean…”

“I want us to be together _together_ too.”

He kissed her forehead and felt the tension slowly lifting from her body. He brought her body against his and she circled her arms around his waist. When his lips brushed over hers, her breathe failed and she melted into him.

He kissed the corner of her mouth tasting the sweet flavoured lip balm she always used and feeling the softness of her skin against his.

Tessa parted her lips slightly and he took it as an invitation he wouldn't refuse.

When their lips finally meet, it was everything they had dreamed about and more. They fit, and moved like one, but different from training together, it was filled with the most incredible feelings.There would always be admiration and affection between them but it was nothing compared to the sense of completeness that embraced their hearts like one.

 

* * *

 

_November, 2015_

Scott woke up and looked to the muted alarm by his bed. 5am sharp. He laid on his back, staring at the ceiling.A frustrated sigh escaped his lips and his head started to fill with the now usual feelings he had to deal with.

His hand searched for the comfort of the woman by his side but the sheets were as cold as the weather outside.

He quickly got up, putting some jeans on while calling her name. He found her sitting in the kitchen island with a hot mug between her hands. Her long hair dropped down her shoulder covered by the grey flannel shirt he left on the floor the night before.

Scott kissed her hair and went to sit across from her.

“Hey.” She managed a tight lip smile. “I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep.”

She took a sip of her tea. Scott waited patiently and took both her hands in his. 

“What's wrong?”

“I think it's time we go back to Montreal”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

They had spend the most amazing couple of months, enjoying each others company and being a normal couple for the first time in their lives. The only problem was the feeling that there was something missing. This subject was constantly between them and the possibility of going back to competition was very real.

As two very competitive individuals, it was an almost selfish pursuit. But in some strange way they found a common ground even in their most private longings and faults. The mutual understanding and respect was what had built a solid partnership, the rest was a consequence of it.

Sochi was a mark in their career, for many reasons. They had learned a lot from it but in the end, the sour taste of an not-good-enough-performance would always be difficult to swallow.

“I really think we owe this to each other, to be the best that we can, and I know we can win gold in Korea. I miss it so much competing. I can get involved with fashion collaborations and things like that, but in the end of the day, I just miss being in the ice.”

He sighed and they interlaced their fingers. “I know, we are on the same page about it.”

“But I don't want to lose this amazing thing we just found.*

“You know we'll have to put things on hold for a while if we want to win. All our energy will go to training, specially since we need to go back in shape for competition standards. We are not that young anymore, things can get pretty tough.”

“Do you want to do it?” She asked Scott even though she knew his answer.

“Go to one more Olympics? Hell yes. We talked about it already. But I'm not bargaining us. I love you Tessa. In every possible way “

“Do you think we can do it and at the end still have one another?*

“We'll work on it.” He kissed her tenderly.

 

* * *

 

_Pyeongchang Gala, 2018_

 

During the time they were waiting for their cue, they away from the excited crowd of skaters. People probably sensed there was something going on there because no one had approached them.

They shared a long embrace, longer than the one before completing with Roxane. There wasn't the pressure or the striking competitiveness, it was only the need to be with the other half who understood the myriad of feelings they were going through.

That song never made more sense then now. It was a tribute to everything they were. The patriotism, their career and the story around their comeback and what they sacrificed to be where they wanted to.

They got on ice for the gala, he had a deep expression on his face while trying to cope with everything that moment meant to him.

"You ok?" Tessa mouthed to him when they crossed to get on their positions.

"Yeah, let's do this" He barely moved  his month and his eyes were full of emotions.

She smiled to him and directed herself to the crowd one last time the same way he did.

When they were facing each other, Scott looked at her with a very serious expression.

"One last time, Tess"

The music echoed around them and they started moving. Long and sweet moves with every chord. They touched clinging to one another without even noticing. The choreography was sweet and full of tenderness. Scott's eyes were always searching for Tessa and the only thought than ran trough his mind was how lucky he was to have found her in life. He was incredibly sad that his was their last time in a competition.

 _It's been a long time running_  
_It's been a long time coming  
__It's well worth the wait_

He heard the last words and it never made more sense to him. He had Tessa and the promises of a future together to hold on to.

His hand stayed on her neck, he could feel the rapid beat of her heart while they both tried to catch their breaths. She kept her hand on his heart and for a moment they forgot they were surrounded by an immense crowd cheering for them. Scott had his eyes closed because he knew he couldn't trust his emotions on that moment. He wanted to say how much he loved her right there, but the cameras were on them and it was such a precious and intimate moment. He opened his eyes and looked right into those gorgeous green eyes of hers. He prayed that the look on his face and the way he touched her would tell her the extension of his feelings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Let me know if you like it xx


	4. I want you to stay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! thanks so much for the nice comments. I have a blast every time I read a new one. I didn't have much time to write this chapter and possibly there are some awful grammatical mistakes, so forgive me for that. I'll do a proper review on this chapter once I get time but I wanted to post it already so I can move to next one. There's just one more regular chapter and then the epilogue and It's done.
> 
> This chapter is a glimpse of their routine back home. I didn't focus much on the interviews because I've seen some amazing works here about it and honestly I couldn't do better than that.
> 
> I hope you like it :)

When Scott heard the chief of cabin announce they would be landing in London shortly, he looked down to a very exhausted Tessa passed out by his side, using a coat as a pillow on his shoulder.

"T, we are home." He spoke softly, touching the hand she rested on his arm.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked to him.

“Hey”

“Hey sleepyhead.”

“You didn't catch any sleep?”

“No, I couldn't”

“You are really tired.” Tessa ghosted her fingers through the dark circles he was spotting.

“I'll get some proper sleep tonight”

After about one hour of taking photos, doing some more interviews and signing autographs, they finally made their way out of the airport and into the parking lot. Their family went on to their respective cars and they had a moment alone to say goodbye.

Scott embraced Tessa and talked close to her ear. "You're going to your place after you have dinner with your family?"

"That's the plan. Come over after you see your fam if you want, my mom said she stocked the fridge with some beer and food. I'll leave the key in the hiding spot for you in case I've already passed out by the time you get there."

"Ok"

“See you later” she kissed his cheek and only let go of his hand when she was a couple of steps away.

He gave a wink from a distance and they both went separate ways

* * *

In the complete silence, Tessa heard the front door opening from her room. She closed her laptop, setting it on her bed side table.

Scott appeared in her doorway spotting a new change of clothes and a duffle bag hanging on his shoulder. He let it drop in a corner of her very tidy room and walked to her open arms.

He flopped belly down on top of her, laying his head on her breasts. Her hands went to his hair and he closed his eyes with a heavy sigh, delighted.

“Get under the covers and let's get some sleep big boy, there's going to be a day full of _virtuemoir_ festives tomorrow.”

He groaned, rolling out of the bed to discard his clothes before getting under the covers.

“Our moms probably went crazy with this welcoming party.”

She waited for him to get comfortable and snuggled into his side.

“It's actually more practical to gather everyone in the same place. There are lots of people who want to see us.”

“I know, I'm just exhausted. The last few days were hectic."

She understood him, it's not that they were not grateful about all the amazing reactions they were getting, but in between winning gold and terminating their competitive career, they had a lot to take in.

"The press will be a bit mad the next couple of days." Tessa commented, not too eager about this part either. But it was part of the job.

"How many more 'mostly likely to' and 'do you know each other' games do you think we'll have to play?"

She chuckled. "A couple more, I'm sure. Just try not to slip any compromising thing."

"Do you mean about how you steal all the sheets while sleeping and etc?"

"Something like that."

"You know my brain often don't keep up with my mouth." He yawned and closed his eyes for a bit longer. When Scott looked down to her again, this eyes were a bit hazed. "Sorry, can't keep myself awake much longer."

"It's alright, get some sleep." She kissed his lips and turned on her side, his arms snaked around her waist and his head rested on her pillow, feeling the scent of her everywhere. He was home indeed.

“Good night, T.” Soon scott drifted off with incredible easy.

 

* * *

 

The room was full of well known faces. Their closest friends and all their families filled every corner of the adjoining saloon of Ilderton Ice Rink. The rink was closed for the day so they could have some privacy and enjoy this time with their people.

They had had a delicious lunch and Tessa was beyond grateful when Alma put a plate of chocolate cake in front of her.

“Alma, you are the best.”

She winked at Tessa and went on to serve her already full of energy grandkids. Her son would have a great time trying to put them to bed latter.

“Oh god." she mumbled, closing her eyes of pleasure at the first taste of the rich chocolate ganache. This was almost as good as winning gold. Very, very close to it.

Jordan took a seat besides her and smiled at her sister.

“You know, I could live of champagne and chocolate.” Tessa commented.

“And sex”

“That too.”

“You and Scott are very cozy, I could say it's the gold bliss, but I think I know you better than that.”

“We are just well rested, it's nice to be home and don't need worry about the media thing.”

"When are you planning to break the obvious news that you are a couple?"

"It's not on our plans for a while, we still need to figure things out, and there are too many public affairs to attend at least for the next 5 months."

"Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I think we'll need it."

She laid her eyes on Scott across the room, he had a beer in his hands while talking to one of his cousins. He must have sensed her eyes on him because he turned and winked at her before continuing his conversation. Tessa saw his older niece approaching to give a tug on his pants, she watched them with curosity.

"Uncle Scott." A very demanding young girl called him. Her small hands on her hips and a quizzical expression on her face.

"What is it dear?" He crouched to be at her eyes level.

"When I get older, will you stop being aunt Tessa's partner and dance only with me?" She was so serious at her request that he didn't have the courage to let out a good laugh. She was the cutest!

"What if I dance with you now?"

"But there's no song!"

"Let me tell you a secret, all the good dancers can dance without any song playing, we hear the music in here" He tapped her temple softly, "And in here" and pointed at her heart.

"I can only hear the _Let it go_ in my head, is that ok?"

"Sure, that'll do"

Scott took his niece in his lap and she clung to his neck with a shriek of joy. He began to whirl with her and dance the classic steps of a waltz. Tessa watched them from across the hall, A smile of pure enchantment had flooded her face. Her partner made exaggerated movements and stole chuckles from his niece. It was those small things that always made her heart swelled with love and admiration for that amazing man.

At the end, when there was just their parents and siblings in the room Scott took a seat besides Tessa and wrapped an arm around her.

"Thanks for throwing us this celebration party guys. It was really special." Tessa spoke up for them, leaning into Scott.

"You deserve all of this, we can't stop saying how proud of you we are." Alma's voice was a little choked up when she looked at them for the hundredth time that day with stars on her eyes.

Kate nodded, just a couple of steps from her. "You've outdone yourselves. We believed in our hearts and from knowing you that the gold was yours, but seeing you competing there, was a gift to us all and a beautiful ending to your career."

Tessa took a shaky breath but smiled to her mother.

"And we couldn't have done it without your incredible support all this years. Thank you, truly," Scott completed, looking directly at his mother. Without knowing, her mom had given this amazing gift that was his partnership with Tessa. And one look was enough for her to understand that it was about more than the sport and their career. Alma nodded once and smiled back at her son knowingly.  

"Why don't you go take a look around while we finish tidying up here?"

"Are you up to it?" Scott asked, rubbing Tessa's shoulder smoothly.

She nodded and Scott got on his feet and helped Tessa up. They walked out of the room hand in hand for the delight of both their mothers.

When they reached the ice, they sat on the small entrance step and put their booted feet on the cold surface. The light was low, just a few spots illuminating the ice while the audience were completely in the dark.

They fell in a comfortable silence, each one distracted about their own thoughts.

“When we first skated together, could you imagine that 20 years later we’d be here with 5 olympic medals?” Tessa spoke first. Looking ahead to a fixed point, in her head there she could see the two kids skating, holding hands in a very awkward way and sliding across the rink out of obligation.

“Probably not. I just wanted that to be over as soon as possible.”

"Oh sorry for getting in you way." She was pure irony.

"I'm not." He circled her shoulders and planted a kiss on her hair. "Being your pair was the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Ditto."

"It is quite surreal to be here though, after everything. I kind of wished I had brought my skates to play a little."

"Maybe we could come back in the early morning when things calm down a bit."

"Well, this will take some time. We have a full schedule of press and then before we know it we'll be back to training for the Stars on Ice." Tessa reminded him.

"I know, but training should be lighter now I suppose." He sighed. "Doesn't it feel strange to not be thinking about Worlds? And the next season program?"

"It does" She nodded absently "But it's very clear in my mind that this part of skating is over for us. We did this two years plan for one last olympic and now it's over. It's quite  bittersweet, but it is what it is."

"You are right. I just can't see myself away from the competition scenario, even though I know we are done."

"Did you talk to Patrice again about the coaching position?"

"It's not something to go over right now, but they are very clear about what they want from me." Scott took her delicate hand in his, looking how much smaller hers were compared to his. "It's going to be really weird to not have you as a partner in a competition, even as a coach."

Tessa chucked, finding it too cute the way he looked like a lost puppy. "I'll be your number one cheerleader. Besides, we'll be partners at everything else, it's good you have something to take a break from me."

"Oh I know you are the one eager to get ride of my everyday tantrum for the first time in years."

"Never, I'm stuck with you and vice versa, that's our deal since we were put together in this same rink." She squeezed his hand, turning her head to look into his eyes.

"I think I can live with that." Scott smiled at her and kissed her forehead.

* * *

It was early morning when he let himself in her flat with two coffees to go in his hand. A long Americano for him and an almond milk cappuccino for her.

When Tessa had gone to Montreal to promote her campaign for Nivea, Scott stayed behind to spend some time with his family. During the days they were apart, she sent him a pictures of everything and he made an effort to go online on social media to keep up with her event. He was beyond proud of her, the world was only now discovering how amazing she was, lucky him he had known it for more than 20 years now.

Tessa was already awake and in the kitchen when he reached her. Scott  didn't need to look at the kitchen stand to known they would be having toast and poached eggs for breakfast. He hugged her from behind and she leaned into him.

"Hey." She said with a smile in her voice.

"Morning, T." He kissed her shoulder and rested his chin where his lips had touched.

She let go of the spoon she was using and turned in his arms. Scott's body pinned her against the kitchen countertop and she rested her arms around his neck. Her hair was up in a long ponytail, she wore some comfy sweats and a loose white top in contrast to his dark jeans and black sweater.

"You look very handsome" She slid her hands around his shoulder, tugging the collar of his shirt. Tessa pulled him to her, kissing his lips adoringly. "I missed you."

"Me too" He gave her ponytail a little tug. "I'm so proud of you on the Nivea campaign, you were incredible."

"I wish you were here in the past couple of days."     

"Same, but we agreed to keep things under wraps for a while. I got on social media these days and the things are really insane right now."

"I know." She couldn't hide the annoyance in her face. Tessa was a very private person and she was not willing to share their relationship to the media, most likely she would never be. Tessa hoped the frisson about them would fade away and eventually they would be able to go back to their ordinary and uneventful lives.

They sat to have breakfast and Tessa filled Scott on the the feedback of her first events as an ambassador for Nivea. Before they could finish, Tessa's friend and hairdresser arrived to help her get ready to their interviews for the day. Scott occupied himself watching the sports channel until half an hour before they needed to leave. He changed into the clothes Tessa instructed him to pick and spent a considerable amount of time doing his hair like he would do to one of their performances.

Scott said it was all about finding Tessa, and how the secret to "The look" was nothing more than and expression of how lucky he felt to have her by his side. They gave que "acting coach" prep talk and how they took the worlds investment in their relationship as compliment to their work. It was much of the same with a few occasional slips and as expected, they played the "Who is more likely to" game once or twice.

What came as surprise to them was how the interviewers brought up the social media craziness. They particularly had chose to stay away from that, not reading most of the stuff on their social accounts. For Tessa, who was more active on this stuff, it was a bit more difficult to not come across one or another very embarrassing tweet. She had shown a couple to Scott and they had laughed after the shock weared out. They knew the choreography was intense and full of emotions, they just didn't expect people to be so fascinated by that and get into such a deep level of investment.

But reading some tweets out loud in national television and trying to keep a relationship a secret, required another level of self control. At the end of the day, although they have had fun, they were exhausted. The emotional and mental effort was sometimes way worse than hours of heavy training.

When the car stopped in front of Tessa's building it was past 8 o'clock. Scott got out first and helped her his her bags.

She thanked him when he put the bags on the building entrance. "What time should we be in the rink tomorrow?"

"About 9? Don't know, I'll confirm with Marie-France and let you know."

"We could hit the gym before that."

"Sounds like a plan."

Tessa took a step ahead and threw her arms around his neck. He held her waist over the thick wool coat, missing the feeling of her skin against his hands. That presentation costumes  were really handy in this point, he was starting to miss it already.

"Are you going back to your flat?" Tessa asked him, rolling the ends of his hair at the nape of his neck in between her fingers.

"Yep. Why?"

In their 2 year planning for the olympics, they had established that there wouldn't be any sleepover or anything that could complicate things between them and divert their focus from the main purpose. They had broke the rule right after their win, but coming back to Montreal strangely made them want to behave like the two training athletes, which they weren't exactly anymore.

"I wish you could stay."

"I can, If you want."

"I do." 

A boyish grin spread across Scott's lips "Then I will."

They were not taking things slow in between four walls, but after all the years they had known each other, it just felt right to be together and start this new routines.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and I hope you you've enjoyed this chapter! Let me know if you do and see you next week!


	5. And everything I own I give

The competition season was about to start, but not for them. In the beginning of fall, they were invited by CBC to comment several figure skating competitions and they gladly accepted it. They actually enjoyed to be close in the competition scenario even from afar. They had announced their retirement with no possibility of coming back and no one was surprised by that, but people still comment how sorry they were about it. They'd be seen in exhibitions and shows around the world for some for time, but slowly, their focus was starting to change.

That day in the end of October was a proof of that. It held a special new beginning and a long waited closure.

In a sea of people, Tessa saw Scott sitting side by side with her family and even when her cheeks got numb from smiling for a long time, she just couldn't stop. It was really one of the greatest days of her life and of course he was there to support her.

When her name was called he was the first to get up and clap the loudest. "Go Tess!" He screamed on top of his lungs and she gave a wink in his direction while walking confidently to where she would receive the compliments and would finally become a psychologist.

When the ceremony was over, it was Scott who was the first to lift her off the floor in a fierce hug and whisper in her ear "I'm so, so proud of you, Tessa Virtue." and she instantly melted into him and the happy tears flowed freely. The way he hugged her felt like months before when they won their gold medal and it was so heartwarming to think that he was just as happy for her personal achievement.

"Thanks" She whispered back, leaning fully into his embrace, her absolute favorite spot in the world "I Love you."

"Love you too." He said it back, always wearing his heart on his sleeve for her.  

________________

As a graduation gift, Scott arranged a trip to Paris for both of them. He had to ask Jordan some help because he was not the best at planning, usually it was Tessa who took care of the details whenever they had to deal with it during their career. The tickets were booked to the 31st of December, to the second week of January. He knew they wouldn't want to miss Christmas with their families since it was the first year they could really enjoy without a training schedule in the middle of the festive. But he wanted them to have a celebration of their own and a new year together seemed pretty good.

Tessa stepped out in the balcony of their hotel room, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. The air was freezing cold and Scott put one of her winter large scarfs around her shoulders.

"Thanks" She wrapped the wool fabric around her neck, almost too happy to care if she was getting a cold.

"Isn't it the most incredible place in the world?"

"Right now, it is."

"Oh so cheesy." But she leaned into him and sighed in content when he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What are the plans for today?"

"We have dinner reservations at 8 p.m. and then we'll watch the fireworks."

"Sounds good to me." She turned around, dropping her hands around his neck. "Thanks for this, it's the best present ever."

He smiled, so glad to see that sparkle in her eyes. "I'm happy to entertain, but I have to say, Jordan and Flore helped me a little."

"I figured you had help, but it doesn't make it less special." She leaned forward to kiss him "I thought that until later, we could stay here, order room service take a nap to save ourselves for tonight."

"Hell yeah. I'm starving and the long flight killed me. I knew there was a reason to keep you around, T." He grabbed her face between his hands and gave her a nosy peck on the lips.

Tessa chuckled when he grabbed her hand to take her inside. Of course his stomach would make an appearance sooner or later, and to be fair, she probably wanted to nap more than him.

In the last day of that year, Tessa took her time getting ready to go out at night. She took a long bath with rich oils and bath salts, put a facial mask on while soaking and sipped a glass of champagne Scott brought her.

That night felt special, a celebration to the year they had and to the relationship they were building everyday. She loved the silly things such as chose his outfit because he liked her to do it for a special occasion, or just being an old couple and instead of going sightseeing, they drank wine, stuffed their bellies with delicious food and took a 2 hours nap cocooned in each other.

She looked at the midi length burgundy dress hanging in the back of the bathroom door, the almost same shade of her costume for the Moulin Rouge program. It was very silly, but more than her favourite city, Paris reminded her of their last performance and it became the synonym of victory, overcoming and most of all, love.

I was indeed her happy place, but for entire different reasons than a year before.

But that night she would put a beautiful dress on, some nice black heels and a bold lipstick to feel beautiful and look into Scott's eyes and see that extra sparkle within the admiration, desire and love.

When Tessa stepped out of the bathroom all dressed up, her hair was let loose and curled in beautiful waves, she wore a red lipstick and some subtle makeup on her eyes that made the green in her eyes pop.

"Wow, you look beautiful aunt T." Came a little voice from Scott's phone.

He had his back to her while on Facetime with his family and when his niece looked to Tessa and spoke up, he turned around to look too. His dumbfounded expression said a lot. Tessa smiled at him, winking in his direction as she took a couple of steps to reach the armchair he was sitting on. She leaned over him to be in the camera sight, a hand rested casually over his shoulder.

"Thanks, sweetheart, I loved your makeup!" The girl had a green and pink eyeshadow over her lids.

"I did it myself." she said proudly.

"Well done! You'll have to do it on me when we get back.'’

"Ok." She nodded, very serious.

"Sweetie, we need to go, give a kiss to everyone, will you do it for me?"

"Sure, don't forget my present."

"I won't."

"Bye uncle Scott, bye aunt Tessa!" the little girl gave then a big wave and hung up before they could reply.

The minute the screen went black, he forgot his phone and looked up at Tessa. He held out a hand for her and she enterlaced her fingers with his, putting her pinkie in the middle of his index and middle finger out of habit. He made her walk around the armchair and stand in front of him.

Scott gave her a long look, from her gorgeous green eyes to the hem of her form fitting dress and the sexy stiletto black heels.

"You take my breath away, Tessa." He stood up, their hands still linked.

"You're very handsome yourself."

She had chosen a pair of dark fitted jeans, a grey sweater a nice jacket. She touched the cashmere fabric covering his broad chest and slipped her hand inside the blazer until she circled his waist and reached his back, resting her hand casually above his awesome butt. Tessa kissed the side of his neck, her senses were fully inebriated by him, his scent, his body beneath her hand and the sight of his face even when she had her eyes closed.

"Can we skip dinner and just stay here?" Her voice hoarse close to his ear.

"Not this time, beautiful. Let's get going the sooner we go, the sooner we come back."

He gave a light pat on her hip, their hands still linked. Scott didn't tell her where they would go, but she was fine with that, the surprise factor gave her an extra thrill.

The taxi dropped them in front of a busy street. With restaurants full of people ready to celebrate the new year. The wind carried a mist and cold air as they walked with their arms linked through the slippery streets of Paris until they reached a small entrance leading to a narrow corridor lighted by a subtle warm light. They climbed two sets of stairs and on the third, Tessa began to hear a nice instrumental music. Of course her being too clumsy for her own good, when she tried do rush her pace she stumbled over the steps and her face would definitely meet the floor if Scott wasn't quick enough to grab her by the waist.

"Wow, careful there."  He kept his hand on the small of her back when she straighten up and reached the top.

The place was an open concept saloon, decorated in deep tones of blue and grey mixed with dark wood furniture. The low ceilings and the warm lights made her feel instantly welcome. In a corner there was a barman mixing cocktails and the waiters circled around the saloon serving the tables actively. People were seated scattered around the room and a low conversation noise meshed with the soft music, some that she recognised as a late hit in a very nice version, it would even result in an lovely choreography.

Further on there was terrace and the glass walls gave a full view of the city lights.

They were lead to their table in a reserved corner with the best view, Scott helped tessa out of her heavy coat, kissing her shoulder in the process.

"This place is _so nice._ " She told him, charmed by how elegant yet cool this restaurant was. It was kind of place in which you knew the food would be superb but laid back atmosphere suited them well.

"Their chocolate souffle was chose the best in Paris this year."

She spun around quickly "Really?" Her childish grin was too cute before she kissed him. "A man after my own heart!"

"I know what you like, kiddo." He dropped a kiss to her head after she sat and walked around the small table to do the same.

Quickly they had their glasses filled with a champagne and Tessa raised her glass and they toasted to the awesome year they had.

She put her hand above his on the table never leaving his eyes from above the rim of her glass.

"I'm loving this day, thanks, really." She squeezed his hands lightly.

"Stop it, you deserve it all. I wanted it to be special for you, you have accomplished so much this year, I so proud of you. I know how much you've struggled for years to have your degree and still be the best athlete you could. I'm grateful that you always put us first, but I want you to know that your dreams are my dreams too and I'll always have your back and help whichever way I can to fulfil every one of them."

Tessa felt the happy tears burning in her eyes and her heart melting with his words. He looked at her so determined and so full of commitment, he meant every word from the bottom of his heart, she knew it. It shouldn't surprise her after all this years, Scott was indeed the best man she'd known, with his flaws and everything.

"You are one of a kind, Scott Moir. Lucky me to have you in my life."

"That you are." The playful tone and his smirk never failed to make her smile. He took their jointed hand closer to his face and kissed the back of hers.

"And what are your dreams for the next year?" She asked.

"I'm a simple man, if I can skate, I'm happy."

"This is something we'll always have in common, it's comforting."

"Thank God, I can't stand the idea of doing it with someone else or you doing it with other man it's even worse" He said, half joking, half serious. Tessa was _his_ partner and he very possessive about that.

"I wouldn't dare."

She knew Scott had plans to go into training with Patrice and Marie-France in the following season and Tessa would keep pursuing her business career, starting with an MBA and continuing to do collaborations with brands she loved. A year ago she had her doubts about what would happen to them, if they could start their relationship from where they paused or even if they would grow apart after the olympics or not. Things were different than what the firstly expected, but she learned that Scott was a constant in her life and this would never change.

Their new year's eve in the previous year was spent in Tessa's flat in Montreal, they stayed in, Scott cooked a steak with salad and they shared only a glass chardonnay Tessa had kept for special occasions. They had training in the next day and the countdown to the olympics was a real deal, they couldn't give in to the luxury of a party night out.

Again, things had changed, but it was with Scott right in front of her, sharing a amazing dinner and drinking her second bottle of champagne while he changed to a beer.

"Great, how is the souffle" He asked her.

"Divine." It was by far the best desert she had ever eaten.

She gave him a taste of it. It was good, but he liked her taste better.

Scott got distracted watching her  and drinking his beer. He started to listen to the music playing, tapping his feet in the rythm and his lips curved up. It was a classic.

"You love this song."

"Hm?" She looked up, breaking the focus of the spoon she was liking the last bits of chocolate.

"Your Song, by Elton John."

"Oh, I love this song!"

"That's what I said."

Scott pulled his chair away from the table and took a step to her side. "Let's dance this."

"What? No." She looked around and people were oblivious to them, but still, just the mere thought made her cheeks burn.

"Oh come on T, we danced to way more people."

"Yeah, in a competition."

He took her hand and pulled her up against his chest. Their bodies always fitting into each others like two parts of a whole. She hid her face in the crook of his neck and he could indeed feel the heat emanating from her face.

"Don't be shy." He kissed her shoulder and hugged her more tightly against him. It didn't took long until Scott felt her completely relaxed in his arms. They were swaying in their own rhythm and easily lost the track of time.

It was minutes to midnight, friends and couples gathered around the terrace. The glass doors were fully opened, but the cold didn't scare anyone that already had one eye on the clock and another to the sky.

"We got carried away, we should have gone back to the hotel." Tessa heard an edge  in his voice and pulled away slight to look at him. He was looking at the group of people over Tessa's shoulder.

"That's ok, we can watch the fireworks from here and then go back." The small creases in the center of his forehead were not there minutes ago. "What's wrong?"

"Shit." He muttered to himself, barely opening his lips. But she had learned to read his lips over the years and to listen to the smallest sound of his voice. Scott diverted his eyes to her and sighed, his expression softening a little.

"What is it?" She asked again, her arms still wrapped around his middle.

"I wanted you to have the whole package tonight, with fireworks over the eiffel tower and everything." It sounded so important to him.

"We can go now if you want."

He looked at his watch, It's was four minutes to midnight. Scott shook his head "No. Change of plans."

Tessa was really confused, maybe Scott had had to many beers already or she had to much champagne and it was affecting her ability to decode the signs. Scott grabbed her hand and took a small step back to look at those green eyes he loved so much.

"I have one more gift for you."

"You didn't have to."

"Trust me, I had. I thought a lot about it, about the year we had and what might happen from now on. But specially I thought about the history we have together." He began, and the intense way he was talking and the powerful look on his face, suddenly took her breath away. "I'm grateful for finding you to share this journey with and creating so many beautiful memories. But I want more, I want the next 21 years, fuck, make it 50 years if you can put up with me. And I hope you do because I love you so damn much, Tessa Virtue. And I can't imagine sharing my life with another person."

She was crying, and laughing at the same time. That was the reaction which put his racing  heart at ease after he opened his mouth and shut down his brain as he oftenly did.

Unaware of their surrounding, they didn't hear as people got started the countdown to a new year..

_Dix, neuf..._

Scott raised their joined hands, kissed her knuckles and turned her palm up to deposit the ring he fished from his pocket. "Will you be my partner in life?"

_Huit, sept, six..._

Tessa looked at the beautiful engagement ring. There was a delicate oval shaped diamond in the centre of the platinum band, not too big or too small, just perfect for her. But it was when she looked at the man in front of her waiting for her answer, that her lips and her eyes morphed into the most beautiful smile, one he had rarely seen before. "Oh I couldn't choose anyone else. Yes, of course yes!"

_Cinq, quatre…_

Scott kissed her, pulling her off the ground in his embrace.

_Trois, deux, un..._

"I love you, Scott Moir. Happy new year" She said against his lips and kissed him again, her ring still in her hand, closed in fist grip and her arms draped over his shoulders.

It would be indeed a great year, as the next 50 more years or so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! It took me a bit longer to post this because I had something entirely different planned, so I might post another chapter before the epilogue, something about their relationship going public... We'll see. 
> 
> I hope you've liked it and please, let me know what you think of this chapter!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After getting engaged, Tessa's way of dealing with their secret relationship changes considerably and they had to make a decision whether to go public or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be aware, there's some smut in this just because I couldn't help it

_April, 2019_

It had been over three months since they got back from France. They would go on tour around Japan and Canada in a couple of weeks and she really couldn't wait for it. It was so good to be in the ice and feel the love and the devotion their people had for the sport and for them. Beside they had the best time with their friends.

They sat in a hidden corner of their favorite cafe to have brunch in London. Scott always wore caps but Tess borrowed one from him to go a little incognito. Things had calmed down considerably as the media was occupied with other stuff but people still recognised them often on the street and for the fans of the sport and their local community, they'd always be like heroes. It was a truly compliment to have your work affect so many people in a way that makes them believe in something special at least for the duration of a presentation. The lack of privacy, though, was a huge downside of it, especially when they weren't keen on the idea of sharing their relationship publicly and make a big deal of it.

During their career they got used to the media thing, but for the first time in their lives it bothered them a little.

"What do you want?"

"Smoked salmon on bagel with lots of cream cheese and a whole milk cappuccino."

"Got it." He squeezed her shoulder on his way to the counter.

Tessa took her phone out of the purse and checked her social accounts. She started with instagram. There were always some cute edits people made and she saved lots on the camera roll just because.

Twitter was another story, it was her favorite social media to interact with the fans but she restrained from going too deep in the tags for her sanity. Sometimes people read too much into the pictures and videos, but others, they saw right through them. It was scary how much their feelings showed even when they made a conscious effort not to.

It was funny sometimes to see how invested people were on their relationship and quite embarrassing as well. The term _cunninlifitus_ still made her blush like hell.

Tessa was watching a cute video of them skating together with about 13 and 14 years when Scott got back. She looked up and turned the screen to him. "Look at this ridiculous outfits."

"It was probably the latest trend that year." He sat by her side, joining their heads to watch their Compulsory dance at Jr Worlds of 2005. Their vibrant blue outfits was a show apart.

"We got second that year, didn't we?"

"Yep and first in the next year".

The waitress excused herself when she brought their plates and drinks, casually smiling in recognition as she did to every usual customer. It was damn good to have a bit of normality around them when they were back home.

They both thanked her and Scott got to his food in the next instant.

"Whoa you are hungry." Tessa took a look at his full fried up with toast, 2 eggs, bacon and sausage and a full mug of black coffee.

"When I'm not?"

"Fair enough." She squeezed his leg below the table and took a sip of her coffee.

"Patrice called me last night."

"Oh. What for?"

"He wants me to talk to the juniors skaters before de the season begins. To give them some insights and pep talk."

"That's great."

"Yes, I think so. But I wanted to ask you to do it with me. I don't think I can handle it on my own."

"I'm sure you can, Scott. It's just telling people what you've done your whole life, the things that helped you to prepare to a competitions, the dos and don'ts and the motivacional talk we've heard all our lives. Mentalize the B2Ten thing and you'll be great."

"I don't think I'm their best dissipule."

"That's bullshit, you might not be their biggest fan of their methods but they helped us a lot."

"Yeah Yeah, I know. But will you do it with me? Just this time?"

"If you want me too, I'll be there."

"Thanks, T." He smiled happily and kissed her cheek.

Scott was such an easy man to please, Tessa wondered. The smallest and simplest things it was what he needed to be happy. He enjoyed a nice plate of tasty food, from the fancy cuisine to the greasy burger, and he wanted to be surrounded by the his friends and family constantly. He liked to watch the sports channel day and night, but he would go out to dance with her with the same enthusiasm. He would know about every song currently playing on the radio and made her sing along with him when they were carpooling. And the most amazing thing was that this was Scott, since day one, he hadn't changed just because now they were together as couple. Tessa was forever charmed by him.

* * *

That year they started the tour in Vancouver and each 2 days they changed cities until they were home for their show in London and it brought them such joy to perform in the stage they were born into. There was no crowd like their local community.

They were having a nice dinner with the entire Virtue and Moir clan the night before their presentation and the women in the room were going crazy over wedding stuff, even though they hadn't set a date yet. They agreed to wait until the next year so they would have some more time to plan everything without a busy work schedule.

The boys got into the living room and were watching a hockey game, soy chips and beers were passed from hand to hand.

But Scott was a bit distracted and kept glancing at Tessa in the other room. She was bit off in the last weeks and he thought she could be missing home so he had insisted they drove to London as soon they finished in Hamilton, choosing to leave the team behind.

The sadness behind her smile stayed, though, even when she talked about wedding dresses and decorations with their moms and sister in laws. There was a ball of nerves building up in the pit of his stomach and he knew it was pure fear. Was she second guessing herself about them? God, he hope not.

He got to his feet after just 10 minutes of trying to watch his favourite game on TV and walked to the adjoining room.

"Hey." He started rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly when all the women looked at him like he had grown a second head just because he entered the room. "T, can you help me with something?"

"Uh, sure." She looked at Alma in a silent question and the woman just shrugged, she had no idea what her son was up to.

Tessa rose and grabbed the extended hand he offered her, walking out of the room with him.

"Upstairs."

"Scott!"

"Don't be silly, it's just more private to talk." He squeezed her hand, his tone made her wary.

"Oh, ok."

Tessa went up in front of Scott, their hands still entwined. She walked through the corridor in the second floor of Scott's parents' house surrounded by family photographs. There were Scott's nephews at various ages and even some of herself with the Moir brothers, as if she were their little sister. That family had accepted her with open arms and she had become one of them before even knowing that she was Scott's girl. Or maybe they knew all along.

She knew which door to push from going into him room a couple of times over the years. From his teens room there were some Hockey references left and a Canadian flag beside the wall with a little Scott Moir Hall of Fame. Alma had selected pictures of them in various competitions to sit with some of medals he left behind.

The once red and black walls were now painted with a soft cool grey and matched the black duvet covering the double bed in the center of the room. Scott closed the door behind them and went to sit the corner of the bed, inviting Tessa to do the same.

"Is everything ok?" She took the space besides him.

"You tell me. What's wrong, Tessa?"

"What do you mean?"

"You've been off since we came back from Japan. Did something happen? Do you think we are going to fast? It that's the problem..."

"What? No, no." Tessa gripped both his hands in hers. "Scott, it's nothing to do with it. Well, it is, but it's not.”

He closed his eyes in, breathing deeply. "Tessa, you're killing me here."

She looked down to their linked hands not seeing her engagement ring. Not wearing it was torturing her. It felt wrong, as if it was a dirty and nasty secret when in truth, was the reason behind the small smiles with no apparent reason and the dreaming look on her face throughout the day. Their closest friends knew and supported whatever decision they made about keeping it private, their families too. But the consequences of keeping it was beginning to bother her.

She wanted to go out and try as many wedding dress she could before committing to one, and maybe start looking at venues and go full plan mode. Since she was a little girl she had dreamed about this day and now she wanted to live it all fully.

Besides, it took out all her energy this effort to keep herself from turning to Scott whenever she wanted and just holding his hand or kissing him on the lips and let him do the same because they didn't want to be in the cover of a cheap tabloid and all over the media staring in a sensationalist story.

They were not celebrities, but people sometime viewed them as if they were.

"I'm tired of doing so much effort to hid us when I just want to enjoy this every single moment. We took so long to be a couple, now we have to be careful wherever we go to not be one. And our job is to be in public, together. This part of our lives is not going away anytime soon."

Scott let out a heavy breath.

"Thank god." He murmured under his breath. "I thought you didn't want it anymore somehow."

"You almost offend me Scott."

"Sorry, I hate not knowing what's going on your head, maybe we should give a call to the B2Ten people to schedule an marriage counseling appointment."

"Now it would make sense."

"Yeah." He rested his forehead against hers "What do you want to do? Schedule an interview or something like that?"

"No, I don't want to sell our relationship, it's not us."

"What about instagram?"

"I thought about it, but I'm still not sure."

"We will figure something out, maybe when this tour ends it will be easier, we'll step out of the public's eye for a bit."

"Ok. Yeah, you are right." She nodded.

"Good. Just please, for the the love of God, don't ever let me out this way. You almost killed me."

Tessa gave a real laugh this time. "Such a drama queen."

"I'm very serious, woman. Ms. Shrink and our mental prep coach told us that several times." He rolled his eyes to her "And you say I'm the one who doesn't listen to the B2Ten crap. We better start using this shit, we are getting married."

Oh she loved that man to the bottom of her heart.

"I promise." He engulfed her in his arms and she stayed there, her safe place. She knew she should have told him sooner but she really didn't mean to let him out, it was just how she tried to deal with stuff.

"We'll think of something." He assured her again, kissing the top of her head. Tessa nodded against his chest. Yes, he was right, they would solve it together.

* * *

 In the morning of their presentation in London, Scott went jogging with Tessa around a park close to her house. The sun was out, which made they want to exercise outside, but the cold air still hit pricked their faces.

They maintained their workout routine because It was like a drug, their system needed the adrenaline kick even though they had reduced it to less than half of what they used to do for the olympics.

Though the exhibitions were a more relaxed routine, touring demanded a lot from their bodies and they couldn't give themselves the luxury to lose the rhythm yet.

The pair tended to run quietly side by side, their steps synced and, funnily enough, even the movement of their arms were matching without them noticing. They reached Tessa's street and her house came into view about three quarters away.

"Hey" Scott looked at her and raised an eyebrow, challenging her with a sassy smirk.

She looked at him without losing her speed and raised an eyebrow. She nodded once, her eyes bright with defiance.

Scott counted to three and the two fired towards the house. They were pretty close to one another, which meant Scott was probably holding back a little. He was indeed stronger than her and Tessa was a bit too much clumsy off the ice so she was very careful where she stepped. Either way, they got to her door pretty much at the same time.

Tessa tried to catch her breath, her chest rising and falling at a impressive pace and Scott was about the same. He was a step back from her while she tried to fish her key from her sports armband, looking intently at her profile. Her cheeks were pink and her hair too messy from the work out. He had seen her in that state so many times through the years, but it never ceased to amaze him how beautiful she was in every circumstance, and how strong her body could be. Beneath the baggy sweats and the white flowy t-shirt, there was a firm and incredible body to be held and cherished.

She looked at him and he had this intense look on his face.

"What?" She averted her eyes, a bit uncomfortable, fumbling with the key to open the door.

"I love seeing you all flushed and hot."

Tessa rolled her eye to him as he grabbed her by the waist. He was being extra goofy and sweet that morning, she knew it was one of his ways to make her feel better. And it worked.

"Let go of me, I'm all sweaty." She opened the door and tried - not very hard, to be fair - to step away from him, but he wouldn't let her.

"I don't mind a bit." To prove his point, he kissed the side of her neck, tasting the saltiness of her skin

"Let me shower first."

"I'll help you with that."

He threw her over his large shoulder and Tessa yelped in surprise. Scott kicked the door close behind them. Her tidy house smelled of clean, comfy and Tessa, and he was so used to it now that sometimes he forget how much it made him feel at home.

"Scott, put me down!" She tried to wringe out of with hold but he just tightened one arm around her upper legs and slapped her firm butt with his free hand.

"No."

Scott entered her room and marched straight to the bathroom. He put her on the floor and quickly turned the shower on, soaking her to the bone.

"Scott!" Tessa yelled. The water that cold as fuck at first but it got warmer in a matter of seconds.

The white t-shirt she wore became a fine layer of transparent fabric glued to her skin. Her shorts too. He got distracted for just a second and it was enough for her to pull him to the running water.

"Two can play this game."

Scott's hair was soaked and the long strands fell over his eyes like a black curtain. His nose was glued to hers and the hands that pulled him down under the water were kept on his hips. Her finger started to climb under his shirt, feeling his slippery skin, she reached his shoulder with both hands, taking the wet t-shirt along the way and discarding it. The pile of wet clothes grew outside the shower while they revealed every inch of skin eager to be touched and to touch.

Their bodies got tangled under the running water, creating a unit. The water ran on their backs and arms, but there was no gap between their chests. Scott kissed Tessa with fierce passion and she matched his feelings, fisting his hair in a firm grip. His arms circled her waist and lifted her off of the floor just slightly. His strength never ceased to amaze and arouse her.

She moaned against his lips "Want to go over the choreography again?" She asked with a smirk.

Scott chuckled and Tessa could feel his chest tremble against hers.

"Which one? This?" He put her back on the floor and took a small step back, his hand running from her waist to her butt then around her upper leg and inner thighs.

“We could do this movement, yes. And maybe I could turn my back to you.” She turned, pressing herself against his groin.

“I don't like you turning your back to me, but I might open an exception" Scott bit her shoulder and pushed her upper body against the wall with his. He covered her spread hands on the tiled surface and she stick her butt out for him, parting her legs slightly.

He kissed her shoulder and her neck over and over again while one of his hands followed the water, molding the small curve of her breasts, her taut abs and the sides of her hips. He slapped her butt playful and circled under the curve of it to reach the delicate folds of her pussy.

She moaned in pleasure and threw her head back to his, resting on his large shoulder. He took the other hand from above hers and grabbed her chin to turn her face to him. The kiss he gave her was extremely demanding, his tongue caressed hers in a languid motion and she handed it all to him.

He engulfed her small cries of pleasure and felt she come apart around his fingers to quickly replace it with his throbbing member, feelings the last contracts of her inner muscles over his sensitive flash. Scott had to close his eyes and concentrate to not surrender to the most delicious sensations.

She raised herself to the tip of her toes and he trusted deeper into her. Tessa snaked her arm around the back of his neck and grabbed a fist of his hair.

"I'm beginning to warm up to the idea of facing your back." His voice was husky in her ear.

Tessa leaned her head forward, giving him fully access to the nape of her neck. He knew that spot gave her goosebumps and happily complied to her body desires.

He took his times exploring her body, moving according to the sway of her hips and the pace she set. He would always gravitate towards her in the end, body and soul.

"More." She pleaded, so low and primal.

The water running over their bodies envelop them in an aura of mist and heat. It felt cold when it touched their skin, overly heated by the passion and desire they shared.

Her voice did something to him and he felt the urge to see her face clearly. He took a small step back and turned her around. His open hands grabbed the underside of her thighs and he pressed her back against the wall and her legs tied around his hips. His broad chest rubbed against her nipples and the strong jets of water occasionally pounding against her breasts causing the most incredible jolt of pleasure to travel her body, reaching her in the lowest parts. It was almost too much to handle. Almost.

Scott entered her again and didn't stop his pursuit. They held onto each other, finger digging into flesh, months consuming every gasp and low sound produced. Until It was too much and they both surrendered.

* * *

Tessa walked into her closet, towelling her hair dry. She was blissfully relaxed after her double workout that morning and the silly smile on her face wouldn't fade. The conversation in the previous night made her relax a bit and the excitement for the tonight's performance slowly arose.

She got dressed into a pair of leggings, sports bra and a Canada jacket before blow drying her hair meticulously and put it up in a ponytail while she did her makeup to go out have a light lunch with the rest of the cast before they had to be in the arena. Scott quietly walked behind her.

"Did I leave any hoodies here?" He asked over her shoulder. She pointed a makeup brush to an upper shelf with a perfectly neat stack of his clothes.

He reached for it, trying not to disturb her organisation. "Thanks."

Scott put it on but didn't move. His eyes went a small vintage box painted by hand on her vanity.

Tessa finished to apply her blush and put the things away. When she glanced up at Scott through the mirror, he had a distant look on his face.

"What's is it?" Her hand rested on his arm and pulled him out of his trance.

"I thought of something."

He opened the blue box, it was where she kept her engagement ring and crouched in front of her.

"I think you should wear it tonight" he took her hand and placed it on her palm "It's our home, the people who cherished every victory and milestone in our career. There isn't a more understanding and respectful audience than this one."

She took a look at the beautiful stone against the light shining from the window.

It was perfect. “You're right.”

When people thought she was the smart one of the two of them, they really didn't know Scott's sensibility and intelligence. Lucky her to have the privilege of having this man in her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's officially a wrap. There's a epilogue coming sometime between this week and the next one, but I just wanted to thank everyone who gave this story a chance, left a comment or a kudo. I had the best time writing it and waking up to the comments and kudos over the last weeks. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did creating it. 
> 
> This was the first fic I published and completed in english, so yeah, It's kinda special to me. English It's not my first language, sorry about the abnormal amount of mistakes you might have found despite the many times I went over the chapters (If anyone wants to volunteer as a beta, please, do. I'm clearly in need of it)
> 
> I did it because during the Olympics me and a friend grew obsessed over these two all over again and their beautiful programs and we couldn't look at Tessa and Scott without a hundred of plots popping in our heads. These two are flawless human beings, really. But most of all, what they showed us during the Olympics was something magical, and so beautiful. I don't know if they are a couple or not (bullshit, deep down we all know they are an old married couple with three kids and a dog), but either way, there's so much love involved, and maybe, the purest form of it. I had the best time trying to capture it somehow and really hope that someone felt good reading it just as I do when I read one of the amazing fics on this fandom.
> 
> I'll probably continue writing because this friend of mine might have created a monster when she asked me to post it and to be fair, I still have lots of plots I'd love to write about, so I hope to see you in another fic :) 
> 
> Please, let me know what you liked about this chapter and the story overall, what you didn't like too! And thanks again! 
> 
> ps: AO3 is not the best platform for interaction between users, but if you want to, please, say hi on twiiter (claire_smh) I might not post much - or nothing - but I'm a pro liker, and I'm trying to go back to it slowly.


	7. Epilogue: You make my dreams come true

_ July, 2020 _

She couldn't sleep, there was too much going in her head.  She rolled in the bed and reached for her phone. 1:30 am. She thought for a second and quickly sent a text. 

_ Are you awake? _

Scott replied within seconds.

_ Yes, Danny and Charlie are snoring down the hall. I don't know how their wives put up with them.  _

_ I might need to get some tips for future reference.  _ She sent him a wink face _.  _

_ Ha-ha. What's up? _

_ Can't sleep. _

_ Are you having cold feet? _

_ Never. Just a bit concerned about everything _

_ Don't be, you'll be there, I'll be there, that's all we need to make it happen _

_ I know _

_ Want me to sing you to sleep? I can send an audio. _

She chuckled reading his words

_ Don't think it's a good idea _

_ I could always come up and make your body sing _

_ Keep this thought for tomorrow _

_ Oh I will  _

_ I'm going to try to sleep now. Thanks for the pep talk. _

_ Always. Sweet dreams, T _

_ I Love you _

_ I kinda do too. _

He sent a serie of hearts and everything-couple-related emojis at the end and it made her drift to sleep with a smile on her face. 

* * *

She woke up that day to an enormous bouquet of peonies by her bed and a cheesy card signed by Scott. They were getting married and damn, she couldn't be more happy. Or nervous. She had asked about every detail several times to her wedding planner, her mom and sister. Even Alma had to go over all items in the list she had on her head.

At the moment she sat on the chair, though, to do her makeup and someone put a very 80s playlist on, her brain began to shut off. Suddenly, every time some concern about the decoration arose it crashed to an error message saying in capital letters: whatever, I'm going to marry Scott today. 

Later when she walked to the the mirror, Tessa couldn't quite believe in what her eyes were seeing. 

"You look stunning baby." Kate was right by her side, tears pooling in her eyes. 

Tessa looked at her mother through the mirror and reached for her hand. "Thanks mom." 

The dress was absolutely beautiful, she had created it with Mathieu and it was so much fun to see it come to life, it was her dream dress in form of lace silk and tulle. The heart shapes neckline was something she had wore may times and thought to be very flattering on her and she took advantage of a summer wedding and went for delicate off shoulder detail to go with it. 

The bodice hung to her curves like a second skin, more lace over the slight transparent tulle opened around the waist to a full skirt of dozens of layers in that same fabric. Her hair was up neatly arranged on the nape of her neck. She was really a bride and Scott would be waiting for her at the altar, nothing could go wrong.

* * *

In a room in the floor below, Scott was pacing around like a caged animal. Couldn't they start it already? He had been ready for over an hour and that bow tie was making it hard to breath. Or it could be nervousness in him.

"Easy there Scotty." Danny put a heavy hand on his shoulder and handed him a glass of scotch. "Here, drink it." He drowned it.

"I don't know what are you worrying about, it's Tessa. You are just going to formalise things."

"As if you didn't throw up 5 minutes before going to the altar on your wedding day." Charlie reminded him, sitting casually on an armchair in the room they were supposed to keep Scott until it was time for the ceremony. 

"I got food poisoning."

Charlie rose an eyebrow "Sure." 

"You two are not helping."

"Who said we are here to help?" Danny went to the bucket of ice full of beers in the corner and got two, passing one to Charlie. 

"We are just after for the free food and the alcohol." He clicked his bottle against his brother's before he got a swing of it.

"Jesus, thanks." Scott rolled his eyes to the two dorks he called brothers and walked to the window to take a look at the garden where the ceremony was taking place. Everything was set and he only needed his fiance now.

 

* * *

 

He got to the altar at the sunset with lake behind him. Seeing the faces of their friends and family smoothed his nerves and made he smiled. From their childhood friends to the Team Canada, they were all there and he was so grateful for it. He could feel the love and happiness emanating from that exquisite crowd and it was all for him and Tessa. 

Whatever expectation he had for this day, none measured up to the image of Tessa walking down the path to him. Their nieces and nephews walked down first, doing everything but what they supposed to do, stealing giggles from everyone and a goofy grin from Scott. But when her song started playing and she came into his view, he forgot about everything else.

She was stunning. The dress was beautiful, sure, but it was the smile on her face and the look in those green eyes that took his breath away. When she touched his hand he understood that since the moment she did it when they were just two kids paired together by his aunt Carol, his gravity had shift and he began to orbit around her. Over 22 years of partnership had brought him success, victories, learnings and above all, her love. He was more than ready to be her husband. 

"Hey, Virtch." He mouthed to her and her smile grew bigger when she replied. 

* * *

They walked hand in hand to take the center of the garden with a beautiful clear night behind them. There were delicate fairy lights pending from the four corners of the wooden canopy structure and white flowers climbing up the pedestals. For their families surprise, they hadn't prepare a grand presentation number, maybe because they did it their entire lives and at that particular moment, they just wanted to feel the moment and do whatever felt like doing.

Scott had asked to take care of the music and she trusted him (and the fact that Alma would make sure everything was perfect on his end). 

The first notes she heard made her smile and her eyes water, it was the Pride and Prejudice song. He bowed in front of her and put out a hand for her in gallantly way. She gave him her hand in a elaborated move and he quickly brought her to his chest, stealing giggles from the crowd watching them.

Scott put a hand on her waist in the classic ballroom pose. They stepped graciously around the dance floor, lost in each other's eyes. 

The song morphed into a instrumental version of Come what may and Tessa mouthed the lyrics to him. 

But the last one was his surprise to her. Her eyes grew bigger and the smile expanded to the vivid green of her eyes. It was a beautiful acoustic version of "You make my dream come true" by Hall and Oates. 

He never agreed on skating that song in a competition, maybe because he was stubborn or whatever. But this was not a competition, it was their ultimate act of given. He would give her the world, he was hers, body and soul.

She interlaced their hands together and brought down to rest beside their bodies while  they embraced each other by the waist. Tessa laid her head on his shoulder, feeling so much loved.

She thought this dance would be like many they shared over the years, but she was completely wrong. Being in his arms after she promised him the forever was beyond special. They were in their zone, where they belonged. She felt in peace like if for the first time in 32 years of existence, she had found her place and purpose in life. It was not competing, it was not ice dance, it was not business. It was him this entire time. She would dedicate her life to make him happy, supporting him and loving him unconditionally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not what I was planning for, but here's the epilogue. I still can't get over this story so I will post a futuretake (featuring dad Scott and everything) as a part 2. Thanks for reading and, as always, let me know what you think about it!


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